If you happen to’ve been attempting to reduce weight and really feel like eating regimen and train simply aren’t reducing it, you’re not alone — and it’s not a private failure. It merely reveals that life-style adjustments aren’t at all times sufficient in the case of weight administration.
At
Houston Household Follow
, we’ve met numerous sufferers who got here to us feeling caught and annoyed after attempting every thing they may on their very own. Happily, advances in FDA-approved weight reduction medication are giving a lot of them new hope and actual outcomes.
However earlier than you begin trying to find the newest drugs or injections, let’s make one factor clear:
Weight loss medications
aren’t a one-size-fits-all answer, and so they’re by no means meant to switch wholesome habits. That’s why it’s so essential to work with a weight reduction physician who may help you select the most secure, simplest possibility to your physique and your objectives.
Whether or not you’re simply curious or significantly contemplating it, right here’s a rundown of the highest medical weight reduction therapies you could wish to focus on together with your physician.
Get Professional Steering for Your Weight Loss Objectives
Why Contemplate Weight Loss Medicines?
You may marvel, “Do I actually need medicine to reduce weight?” That’s a good query, and the sincere reply is: It is determined by your well being, your objectives, and what you’ve already tried.
Generally,
medical weight loss treatment
is really useful for individuals who:
-
Have a physique mass index (BMI) of 30 or larger.
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Have a BMI of 27 or larger with weight-related situations like diabetes, hypertension, and excessive ldl cholesterol.
-
Battle with
hormonal imbalances
like PCOS, insulin resistance, or thyroid problems.
Weight reduction drugs received’t exchange eating regimen and train, however when used accurately, they may give your efforts an additional enhance and assist make the journey a bit simpler.
High FDA-Authorised Weight Loss Medicine
With so many choices available on the market, it’s powerful to know which weight reduction drugs are each secure and efficient. The excellent news? A number of have earned FDA approval for weight administration, which means they’ve been rigorously examined and proven to assist when used as a part of a medically guided plan.
Right here’s a better take a look at a number of the
safe weight loss options
you could wish to ask your physician about:
1. Semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic)
You’ve in all probability heard the excitement about semaglutide — and it’s not simply hype. First authorized as Ozempic in 2017 for the therapy of Sort 2 diabetes, semaglutide rapidly drew consideration for its weight reduction advantages. After scientific trials confirmed important outcomes, a higher-dose model known as Wegovy was authorized in 2021 for long-term weight administration.
The way it works:
Semaglutide mimics a hormone that helps management urge for food and blood sugar, making you’re feeling fuller longer and decreasing cravings. A scientific research confirmed that after six months,
87% of patients lost at least 5% of their weight
, with greater than half shedding 10% or extra.
The way it’s administered:
As soon as-weekly subcutaneous injection.
Attainable uncomfortable side effects:
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and in uncommon circumstances, pancreatitis. Some individuals may additionally expertise gallbladder points or injection website reactions.
2. Phentermine-Topiramate (Qsymia)
This mixture medicine pairs phentermine, a broadly used urge for food suppressant, with topiramate, a drug initially for migraines and seizures that additionally helps curb starvation.
Why it’s fashionable:
Qsymia works on each urge for food and meals cravings, making it simpler to stay to a reduced-calorie plan. Nonetheless, it’s not appropriate for everybody, particularly these with sure coronary heart situations, so you’ll want to focus on dangers together with your weight reduction physician.
The way it’s administered:
Taken every day as an oral capsule.
Attainable uncomfortable side effects:
Dry mouth, insomnia, tingling in arms or ft, dizziness, temper adjustments, elevated coronary heart charge, and potential beginning defects if used throughout being pregnant.
3. Bupropion-Naltrexone (Contrave)
If emotional consuming tends to throw you astray, Contrave could also be value contemplating. This medicine targets the mind’s urge for food and reward facilities, serving to you resist cravings and keep away from overeating.
One other factor to know:
Contrave is typically really useful for people who find themselves additionally managing mood-related points, comparable to melancholy, alongside weight issues.
The way it’s administered:
Taken every day as an oral pill, with the dosage steadily elevated over a number of weeks.
Attainable uncomfortable side effects:
Nausea, constipation, headache, insomnia, elevated blood stress, and a threat of seizures (particularly if taken improperly). It’s additionally not really useful for individuals with sure psychological well being or seizure situations.
4. Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Like semaglutide, liraglutide works by regulating urge for food, but it surely’s taken as a every day injection somewhat than weekly. Whereas barely much less potent, it’s nonetheless an efficient and secure weight reduction possibility for long-term administration.
When it’s used:
Weight reduction docs typically suggest Saxenda for individuals with weight problems who want regular help managing starvation and sticking with more healthy life-style selections.
The way it’s administered:
Each day subcutaneous injection.
Attainable uncomfortable side effects:
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, low blood sugar (particularly when mixed with different diabetes drugs), and in uncommon circumstances, pancreatitis.
5. Orlistat (Alli/Xenical)
Orlistat provides a non-hormonal strategy to weight reduction by blocking the absorption of some dietary fat in your digestive system. As an alternative of affecting your urge for food or metabolism, it really works proper in your intestine to assist scale back fats consumption.
Key distinction:
Alli is the lower-dose, over-the-counter model, whereas Xenical is prescription power.
The way it’s administered:
Oral capsule taken thrice every day with every essential meal that accommodates fats (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Attainable uncomfortable side effects:
Potential vitamin deficiencies and
unpleasant digestive side effects
like oily recognizing, gasoline with discharge, in addition to frequent or pressing bowel actions. These results are extra possible when consuming high-fat meals.
How one can Select the Proper Medical Weight Loss Remedy
Discovering the proper weight administration answer isn’t about going with the trendiest capsule or latest injection. It’s about selecting the very best medicine that matches your physique, well being historical past, and life-style.
At
Houston Household Follow
, our weight reduction docs take the time to contemplate key elements, together with:
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Your medical situations, comparable to diabetes or hypertension.
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Your private weight reduction objectives.
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Your every day habits, exercise degree, and consuming patterns.
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Potential uncomfortable side effects or interactions with different drugs.
What works for one particular person could not work for an additional. That’s why personalised medical recommendation issues. Our function is that will help you discover a secure weight reduction possibility that helps your well being and offers you the very best probability at long-term success.
Begin Your Personalised Weight Loss Journey with Houston Household Follow
We perceive how irritating it may be to place in effort and nonetheless not see the outcomes you’re hoping for. However you don’t need to undergo it alone. With the proper steering, there are secure weight reduction choices that may aid you transfer ahead.
Start by consulting an authorized weight reduction specialist. They’ll work with you to make knowledgeable selections and construct a therapy plan that fits your physique, well being, and life-style.
Able to take the subsequent step?
Houston Family Practice
is open that will help you discover a weight administration plan that feels best for you.
Questioning Which Weight Loss Choice Is Proper for You?
